Arrests rock NAMCOR: More charged in N$327 million corruption scandal

The Anti‑Corruption Commission (ACC) has confirmed the arrest of nine individuals, among them four former senior executives of the National Petroleum Corporation of Namibia (NAMCOR), the state-owned petroleum entity, in connection with alleged corrupt dealings that drained more than N$327 million from public coffers.

ACC spokesperson Josefina Nghituwamata revealed the charges focus on unlawful credit extensions and a failed N$53 million attempt to acquire fuel storage facilities—facilities already owned by the Ministry of Defence. The transaction lacked board authorisation and bypassed key internal controls, resulting in direct financial losses to NAMCOR and its trading subsidiary.

Key players and allegations

Among the accused are former Managing Director Immanuel Mulunga, along with Cornelius Petrus Willemse, Jennifer Hamukwaya, her husband Panduleni Hamukwaya, Olivia Grace Dunaiski, and members of the Elindi family closely tied to Enercon Namibia—a company at the centre of the scandal.

The scandal also involves both Enercon Namibia (Pty) Ltd and Erongo Petroleum CC, which received huge credit lines and petroleum products worth N$274.4 million, allegedly beyond approved limits and without proper governance

What went wrong?

ACC says the credit facility agreements and fuel supply contracts were processed without board knowledge, violating NAMCOR’s internal credit policy. Worse still, the N$53 million paid to take over military fuel contracts from Enercon never materialised. When the Defence Ministry raised objections, the acquisition was cancelled—but Namcor was never repaid.

State attorneys are prosecuting a litany of charges, including: corrupt acceptance of gratification, use of office for personal gain, conspiracy, racketeering, money laundering, possession of unlawfully obtained assets, and falsification of documents under both the Anti‑Corruption Act and the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

Fallout & broader implications

This scandal adds to Namibia’s well‑publicised record of governance issues, following fallout from the Fishrot scandal and other high‑profile cases. However, current transparency rankings place Namibia ahead of its sub-Saharan peers; repeated breaches like this dent public trust.

The ACC has signalled further arrests may be coming, as investigations widen into associated entities and individuals, with at least five more suspects reportedly under scrutiny. Meanwhile, Enercon faces potential liquidation proceedings over unpaid debts to NAMCOR, currently estimated at over N$114 million in unpaid fuel invoices.

What comes next?

• The accused will appear before the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court for bail hearings in the coming days.

• Prosecutors will push to hold individuals personally liable for misappropriated funds and board control failures.

• NAMCOR is under pressure to tighten governance, restore credibility, and recover lost assets.

• Civil society and media watchdogs are likely to demand independent inquiries and accountability reforms.

The post Arrests rock NAMCOR: More charged in N$327 million corruption scandal first appeared on Future Media News.

The post Arrests rock NAMCOR: More charged in N$327 million corruption scandal appeared first on Future Media News.